Dimitri Vassilaros' March 19 On My Mind column about Pittsburgh's living wage has prompted me to respond on the issue.
A 2000 study by researchers at Wayne State University that analyzes the impact of Detroit's living wage ordinance on nonprofits indicates that only two part-time workers were laid off out of 64 nonprofits studied.
Vassilaros suggests the living wage law would force employers "to overpay their help." The living wage meets only the most basic needs.
Enabling someone to just scrape by is hardly excessive compensation. It is interesting that Vassilaros does not note the overpayment of corporate executives.
Business Week informs us that in 1998, the average CEO was paid as much as 419 average workers. Even the most industrious CEO cannot perform the work of more than 400 people.
Given his sympathy for employers, Vassilaros ought to support the living wage. Low wages drive employee turnover rates, which translate into the costs of lost productivity, advertising, training and overtime.
How productive is an employee expected to be when remunerated a degrading and exploitative $4 per hour, as Vassilaros suggests some jobs are worth?
